is a

stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...

sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...

wrestlers, part of the Dewanoumi '' ichimon'' or group of stables. It was set up in 1985 as Kitanoumi stable by former '' yokozuna'' Kitanoumi, who branched off from Mihogaseki stable. It absorbed

Hatachiyama stable is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata, Iwate. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2000. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach. Ca ...

in 2006, following the death of its head coach, former '' ōzeki'' Hokuten'yū. In May 2010 it also absorbed Kise stable, which was forced to close after its stablemaster, former '' maegashira'' Higonoumi, was implicated in the selling of tournament tickets to yakuza members. As a result of this move the stable had 46 wrestlers, making it by some margin the largest stable in sumo at this time. It was the first stable to have over 40 wrestlers since Futagoyama stable in 1998, and had difficulty in finding room for so many. As a result, Kise was allowed to reestablish the stable in April 2012, and all former members of Kise stable, as well as newcomers Jōkōryū and Sasanoyama who had been recruited by Kise-''oyakata'', joined the reconstituted stable again. Stablemaster Kitanoumi died of

colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC), also known as bowel cancer, colon cancer, or rectal cancer, is the development of cancer from the colon or rectum (parts of the large intestine). Signs and symptoms may include blood in the stool, a change in bowel m ...

and multiple organ failure on the evening of November 20, 2015. Former ''maegashira'' Ganyū, who had been serving as a coach at the stable, inherited it. The stable was renamed Yamahibiki, the elder name used by Ganyū, since the Kitanoumi name could not be inherited, due to it being a one-generation elder stock or '' ichidai-toshiyori''. As of January 2022, Yamahibiki stable had 15 wrestlers. Following the demotion of Kitataiki after July 2017 tournament and Kitaharima after September 2017 tournament, it had no '' sekitori'' for the first time since May 2003.

Ring name conventions

A few wrestlers at this stable take ring names or '' shikona'' that begin with the character 北 (read: kita or hoku), meaning north, in deference to the stable's former owner, Kitanoumi. Some examples are Kitaharima, Kitataiki and Hokuseikai.

Owner

*2015–present: Yamahibiki Kenji ('' riji'', former ''maegashira'' Ganyū) *1985-2015: Kitanoumi ('' rijichō'', the 55th ''yokozuna'')

Coaches

*Onogawa Akeyoshi (''toshiyori'', former ''maegashira'' Kitataiki)

Notable active wrestlers

* Kitaharima (best rank '' maegashira'') * (best rank ''maegashira'')

Notable former members

* Hakurozan (former '' maegashira'') * Kitazakura (former ''maegashira'') * Kiyoseumi (former ''maegashira'') * Kitataiki (former ''maegashira'') * Ōrora (former '' makushita'')

Referees

*Kimura Kankurō (''

jūryō Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...

'' '' gyōji'', real name Yoshimi Nakamura)

Ushers

*Tasuke (''

'' '' yobidashi'', real name Taisuke Kominami) *Sōichi ('' makushita'' ''yobidashi'', real name Sōichi Takahashi) *Hiromasa ('' jonokuchi'' ''yobidashi'', real name Hiromasa Nakamura)

Hairdresser

*Tokoasa (1st class '' tokoyama'')

Location and access

Tokyo, Kōtō ward, Kiyosumi 2-10-11
3 minute walk from

Kiyosumi-shirakawa Station is a subway station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line and the Toei Ōedo Line in Koto, Tokyo, Japan, jointly operated by the two Tokyo subway operators Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway. Some trains on both lines terminate and originate at this station ...

on the Hanzōmon Line and Ōedo Line

References

External links

Japan Sumo Association profile of Yamahibiki beyaHome Page
{{coord, 35.6825, N, 139.7951, E, source:wikidata, display=title Active sumo stables